Deception (Michael Clifford)

Thirty Four

Oh boy, your in for a ride with this one. I hope you enjoy guys, and I apologise about the delay, but trust me when I say its going to be worth it :P ALSO, if you've taken a break between this and the last chapter, I recommend just going back quickly and re-reading the last few paragraphs, it will help :D
ENJOY!!

I whip my head around frantically, heavy black smog chokes my lungs and I cough dryly. In my chest I can feel the familiar racing of my heart, slamming against my ribs. I can't move. All around me the suffocating fog swirls with the creatures that lurk behind it, but no matter how hard I try to run, my legs won't obey.
Help me! I open my mouth to scream the words, but no sound escapes, just a wisp of air. I taste the ash and burnt dust on the air, and close my mouth.
Something dashes past my foot and I feel my heart contract in terror. Something tickles my ear. I spin around, shaking, my eyes are burning with the dust.
Scar! Someone calls my name. I breath quickly, trying to make myself feel as small as possible.
Scar! It calls again.
Who's there?! I cry. Blinking rapidly and pulling my arms up to my chest. A plume of black smoke pushes past my nostrils.
'Scar!' I look up as a figure appears out of the smoke. I shrink backwards, then feel something brush my leg. My thoughts race around the inside of my head, unable to pin one down. Why hasn't it attacked me yet? Why is it here? Why can't I move? The figure becomes clearer.
I realise who it is.
Michael run! I try and warn him, but he doesn't hear me, my voice is broken. He reaches out a hand, trying to get to me.
No! It's going to kill you! He glides effortlessly through the fog, the black swirling between his legs like he's part of it. He screams my name again, the terror clear on his face, but I can't move, I can't even lift my hand.
A low rumbling rises from around us, and the fog starts to move, like waves being sucked back out to sea. It twists through my legs, parting soundlessly. I watch in horror. Michael's arm still reaches out, but he hesitates too.
I can feel it.
The creatures scurrying around my feet and through the black mist shrink away. Leaving me frozen, and Michael too far away to do anything.
I bite down on my tongue to stop myself from screaming. Behind me, I can feel the faint stir of a warm breath on my neck, the sick stench fills the air.
This is it, I realise, it's found me.
A low rumbling emanates from the shadows, throbbing through my chest.
I can't tell whether its growling, or laughing at me.
Against all my better judgement, I feel myself slowly turning around.
Michael calls out in the distance but its no use, my body doesn't belong to me anymore. I've lost all control.
What I see when I turn around, sends my stomach diving through the floor. I have to swallow to keep myself upright.
No less than 3 inches from my face, so close that I can smell the rotting of its flesh, is the disfigured face of a human. I can't even tell whether its female or male, but the slope of the jawline suggests the latter. It's green eyes are swimming with luminous acid, glowing through the fog, and beneath that, a row of needle sharp teeth, twisted into a sick, dripping grin.
If I had the capacity to scream, that would have been my opportunity. But the sound dies in my throat. The image is as captivating as it is terrifying.

It breaths a damp, sticky scent across my face, I gag and try to hold my breath, but what's the point, I can't escape now. All around its face, the black fog darts forward impatiently, like it has a mind of its own, tickling my face like outstretched fingers. I can't help but recognise this. Like I've come face to face with this creature before. I stare into its eyes, and it stares back just as defiantly, unblinking. Unable to help myself, I reach up.
'SCAR NO!!'
But it's too late. My hand rises to touch its face like it's on a puppet string. The creature watches with a widening grin, the fog dancing excitedly. Realising its got me under its grip, it runs its tongue over the slimy surface of its teeth, lets out a low rumble of triumph, and strikes.

I bolt upwards and fling open my eyes, heart galloping in my chest. A sticky dampness covers my back from where I've been sweating and the sheets make it feel like I'm lying in a furnace.
I close my eyes and let out a deep breath, those piercing green eyes still staring into me from behind my eyelids. What the hell was that? I've been having theses nightmares a lot lately. I shiver uncomfortably as a single bead of sweat trickles down my temple, and I sit like that for a few moments, letting the vivid image of my dream dissipate into the morning sun.
I look around at my room, trying to ground myself in the real world.
When I realise, this isn't my room.